Abstract
Background: Congested-fixture championships are common during the selection of the athletes and teams participating in the Olympic Games. Throughout these tournaments, it is fundamental to perform optimally, rest well, and recover between competitions. This study aimed to (a) explore the effectiveness of the use of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) and cold water immersion (CWI) to recover muscle mechanical function (MuscleMechFx), hydration status (HydS), pain perception (PainPercep), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), sleep hours, and sleep quality (SleepQual) during a regional multi-sports international championship and (b) compare these results by sex. Methods: A total of 52 basketball and handball players were exposed to a recovery protocol after the competition as follows: IPC, sequential 20 min at 200 mmHg, and CWI, continuous 12 min at 12 °C. Results: MuscleMechFx presented differences by match and sex (p = 0.058) in time of contraction of biceps femoris; SleepQual and sleep hours were different between matches (<0.01). Conclusions: IPC + CWI seems to be effective to maintain some MuscleMechFx, HydS, and recovery and pain perception during a congested multi-sport tournament.
Highlights
In recent years, sports dynamics have changed due to the increased frequency and intensity of competition
Due to the high frequency with which team sports athletes train and compete, recovery methods are essential in sports performance [6]
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that investigated the effectiveness of the combination of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) and cold water immersion (CWI) to recover muscle mechanical function, hydration status, pain perception, rate of perceived exertion, and sleep quality during a regional multi-sports international championship and compared these results by sex
Summary
Sports dynamics have changed due to the increased frequency and intensity of competition. In this line, during the congested fixture period, team sports players are often required to play competitive matches with one–three days of recovery in between [2,3] This is why constant assessment of the different physical and physiological parameters during these periods is necessary to maintain the optimal functional and structural integrity of the athlete’s body [2]. Team sports, in this case, basketball and handball, are called intermittent effort sports due to many actions performed at high and low intensity interspersed with each other [4,5]. Conclusions: IPC + CWI seems to be effective to maintain some MuscleMechFx, HydS, and recovery and pain perception during a congested multi-sport tournament
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